Procedure for application of subsidy simplified
SEREMBAN: The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry has announced that the application procedure for subsidy payments to chicken breeders has been simplified.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the application and review procedures that were implemented at three levels previously have been reduced to a single level, namely the state level.
“Applications previously needed to go through three levels, namely district, state and headquarters.”
He said approved subsidy payments would be credited to the accounts of successful breeders in a matter of just three days.
“The ministry is committed to ensuring the dispersal of subsidies immediately so as to benefit breeders,” he said after visiting a chicken processing factory in Rembau near here on Tuesday.
He said breeders were required to submit application forms and supporting documents such as sales invoices, delivery orders for the purchase of chicks, and a copy of the contract agreement with integrators or contract breeders to claim the subsidy within the stipulated period.
On Feb 28, the ministry had opened subsidy applications to broiler and egg-producing poultry breeders until June 6, involving the production of broilers and eggs produced from Feb 5 to June 5.
Ronald said the current subsidy rate is 60 sen per kg for broilers and five sen per egg of all categories, involving private breeders, integrator breeders, semi-integrator breeders as well as contract breeders involving RM528.52 million, benefiting 2,255 individuals.
Ronald said although breeders had begun to enjoy the subsidy, production costs continued to rise, including the price of corn by 13.41% and the price of soybean meal by 10.57% in April compared with the previous month.
“This caused the cost of chicken production in farms to increase by 10.77%, from RM6.50 to RM7.20 per kg.”
He added that proactive action would be continued to ensure the viability of the poultry industry although the country is facing increases in production costs, which is a global phenomenon.